A look at the importance of legacy through time
One of Futurespective’s guiding principles is legacy. Intentionally building a legacy is crucial, as we will inevitably leave a legacy behind, whether we choose to or not. Legacy is something we pass on to the next generation including knowledge, money, property, businesses and our own reputations. Legacy could hence be negative, such as debt, damage, corruption, shame and disrepute. We get to choose the type of legacy we leave behind. What legacy do you want to build? What future do you want to leave for others once you have moved on? In this article, Louis, Matthew and Philip reflect on the importance of legacy through the lens of the past, the present and the future, using three examples of people who consciously committed to building and leaving a legacy.
Malcom and Legacy — by Louis Howell (Past)
Malcolm chose for his surname to be ‘X’. To me, that was not him making a statement, he chose to make his freedom a part of his identity. This remains his legacy. This always makes me question then, why other people of African-Caribbean descent don’t make it their duty to do the same?
It’s fair to say that many people from a range of communities would classify Malcolm X as a legend (if not his life the legend itself). Why? I believe it’s because he impacted society and the world quite significantly during the span of his lifetime. In the same way, for many people that is what legacy is
about, it’s about leaving an impact on the world in the short time that we are present here.
The challenge for a lot of us is that we don’t know where to prioritise our efforts in order to create a legacy. I believe legacy is about first embracing your own presence and the fact that you are valuable. You are your unique nature, which comes with a unique energy signature, a unique mental
signature and a unique spiritual signature that provides the basis for you to leave the world better than how you found it.
The reality is that our legacy is being determined by every decision that we make, the relationships that we build and the environments that we choose to operate in. In the same way that Newton said an object in motion will continue to remain in motion unless acted upon by an external force, we are
each our own force that can impact the direction of our families, communities, societies or wider world.
When we apply ourselves to situations and share ourselves with others, we are creating our legacy.
My father didn’t know his father, so I used to find it challenging to connect with the name Howell. Then, I came across the great Leonard P. Howell and I realised that his decisions have both created his legacy whilst laying the foundations for my legacy also. So really, his decisions impacted the
direction of the Howell name — will I do the same?
Black Panther Lasting Legacy — by Matthew Card (Present)
There are so many levels and layers to the Black Panther Marvel Movie. There are so many reasons why this film has left a legacy for years to come. The sense of pride with which it fills black children is a joy to behold. I often think about what it would have felt like, if, as a child, I had a black superhero movie that everyone was talking about at school in the playground. The Movie dispels the myth that all black movies do not sell — it is the 10th highest grossing film of all time.
One of the film’s layers asks who is the real villain of the film? Many would say naturally it was Killmonger or even T’challa. For me, at some level, the true villains are fear, hate, anger and pain, the emotions that lead to betrayal, infighting, division and the hiding of a people’s true power. It took the misguided actions of someone full of hate and anger to shine a light on the fact that sometimes you need to leave the old ways behind and create a new legacy. A legacy that would unite a people. A legacy that uses a united peoples power for good. When united, there is enough strength to heal and save the world. In fact, it was the Wankandans who contributed most of the forces to the final battle of Avengers: End Game. This is an analogy for the real world, where we have been divided for so long but we truly have the strength to do so much good and really transform the world.
Maggie Ebunoluwa Aderin — by Phil Robinson (Present — Future)
Margaret “Maggie” Ebunoluwa Aderin was born in 1968 in London to Nigerian parents. The 1960s in London was a difficult place for black immigrants, as they faced vile racism, exclusion and lower socioeconomic status. Across the Atlantic in the USA, the American Civil Rights movement, one month after Maggie was born, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. This was a significant turning point for black civil rights globally. Maggie was hence born at a time that presented both great challenge and hope for black people in the UK. While being confronted in the street to “return to her own country”, she continued to be reminded at home by her parents that she could pursue her dreams, regardless of what others suggested. Education remained at the forefront of her upbringing, and became the foundation of her success.
Besides the hardships of the society into which she was born, Maggie faced other difficulties during her childhood and education. At the age of four her parents separated, which led to her changing school often in her first 14 years. She also struggled in the classroom, having been regarded as dyslexic and academically remedial. It was during a science class that she discovered her capability and passion for mathematics and science, even though some teachers pointed her toward “nursing” as a science-related profession that would suit someone like her. Maggie defied these and went on to gain a B.Sc. in Physics from Imperial College London in 1990 and a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering 4 years later.
Dr. Aderin-Pocock’s passion for education and young people, together with her tenacity, self-belief and resilience, saw her become one of the UK’s leading science educators and communicators, specialising in space science. As a mother she is known to travel with her daughter, introducing her to the worlds of science, technology, engineering and mathematics from an early age. She reminds us to “do what you love and love what you do”. Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock’s continues to shape a legacy that points to and beyond the stars.
